Collapsible or telescopic containers (Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) B65D21/086) are, of course, known in the art. However, these containers often require one to add or remove or disconnect components in order to change the size. Or, the size can be changed in only one Euclidean vector direction (e.g. increase the height vertically or horizontally, but not both).
U.S. Patent Publication 2010/0074723 to Lancon, for example, discloses a collapsing cargo box. The box has a top container and bottom container which fit over each other. The top container telescopes outward using a rail system to be above the bottom container. This reference discloses the concept of vertical rails which are expanded to enlarge the box in one direction only. U.S. Pat. No. 2,223,074 to Martin discloses a window box which is hung from a window. The box slides against itself to make the box wider or narrower. This reference shows the concept of horizontally widening a box only. This is accomplished by pulling it apart. U.S. Pat. No. 7,823,739 to Sadkin et al. discloses a collapsible shipping container with bi-folding sidewalls which collapse in accordion style. In this manner, the box can be expanded and lowered in height.
What is needed in the art is way to improve upon the prior technology and make it more versatile as well as easier to use. For example, while the Martin box can be expanded in one direction to fill in a window, if one's window is a different height, the Martin box will not be sufficient. One would need to procure an entirely separate box, adding to costs of production, warehousing, shipping, and so forth since so many different size boxes are needed. If a “one size fits all” box could be made to fit any shape space, this would be preferable.